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(11) | EP 0 881 519 A3 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Organic/inorganic composite superlattice type optical modulator |
| (57) In an organic/inorganic composite superlattice type optical modulator capable of
entering/projecting light, and capable of modulating an optical characteristic such
as transmittance, reflectivity, and a refractive index of light in response to an
externally controlled electric field, or light, the organic/inorganic composite superlattice
type optical modulator includes at least one sort of a compound semiconductor layer
(1) and at least one sort of an organic compound layer (2); the compound semiconductor
layer (1) and the organic compound layer (2) are alternately stacked in at least one
period; at least one of the compound semiconductor layer (1) and the organic compound
layer (2) owns crystalline; and also a thickness of each of the layers is made larger
than a Bohr radius of the compound semiconductor, and 10 times smaller than it. As
a result, this novel optical modulator can provide a high nonlinear characteristic
by a semiconductor modulator, and a high response characteristic by an organic modulator. |